Reel to reel | Week of August 16, 2012

Ai Weiwei is China’s most famous international artist, and its most outspoken domestic critic. At Chez Artiste and Century. — Landmark Theatres

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

Peter Parker gets a new look (and an origin story) in this Marvel remake of everyone’s favorite web slinger. Unlike Toby Maguire’s emo-esque rendition of the wall-crawler, actor Andrew Garfield’s portrayal hopes to bring Spidey back to his roots with more wit and fewer tears. Rated PG-13. At Colony Square.

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

Forget concerns about star power and familiarity. Fight to see this movie and to let it be seen. We have never needed a coming-of-age fable set against environmental and poverty concerns as much as we need this. And it is more than up to the challenge. At Century and Mayan. — The Reader of Omaha, Neb.

BILL W.

This film tells the story of William G. Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, a man included in TIME Magazine’s 100 Persons of the 20th Century. A hopeless drunk near death from his alcoholism, Bill found a way out of his own addiction and then forged a path for countless others to follow. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater

In the sequel to Whisper of the Heart, a quiet suburban schoolgirl, Haru, is pitched into a fantastical feline world and must find her way back home. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax — Denver Film Society

CHINA HEAVYWEIGHT

This documentary follows a group of teenagers in rural southwestern China who are recruited as their country’s next Olympic hopefuls. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax and Boedecker — Boedecker Theater

THE CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN

The Cunning Little Vixen is perhaps the only opera to be inspired by a newspaper cartoon strip. Every morning, Leos Janá ek would catch up with the latest exploits of the mischievous vixen Bystrou ka. He became such a dedicated follower of her adventures that he responded with an outpouring of music. At Chez Artiste. — Landmark Theatres

DARK HORSE

Writer/director Todd Solondz (Happiness, Welcome to the Dollhouse) enters somewhat more upbeat territory with this quirky, tragicomic romance between eager underachiever Abe (Jordan Gelber) and insecure, over-medicated Miranda (Selma Blair). In his mid-30s, Abe is an avid toy collector who still lives with his parents (the wonderful Christopher Walken and Mia Farrow), and resents working for his father. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax — Landmark Theatres

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

Director Christopher Nolan’s D.C. superhero legacy comes to an end as unwelcome and reluctant hero Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) dons his cape and deepens his voice once more. Batman battles for the future of Gotham against ruthless criminal Bane (Tom Hardy) with the help of the “catty” Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway). Rated PG-13. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: DOG DAYS

The latest installment in this series based on the popular books sends the wimpy kid off on appropriately wimpy summer misadventures. Rated PG. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.

THE EXPENDABLES 2

The Expendables reunite for a bloody film bulked up with a cast that includes Sylvester Stallone, Jet Li, Chuck Norris, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren and Mickey Rourke. Rated R. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.

FAREWELL, MY QUEEN

A glimpse at the opulent debauchery that was the cake-addled court of Marie Antoinette shortly before that ugly incident with the guillotine. Rated R. At Chez Artiste.

GREASE SING-ALONG

With the words to the songs appearing on screen, now you can sing along with high school sweethearts Danny (John Travolta) and Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) while watching this beloved, ’50s-style rock ’n’ roll musical comedy based on the nostalgic Broadway hit. At Esquire. — Landmark Theatres

HOPE SPRINGS

Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones play a married couple seeking to rekindle a big romance in the hands of a couples counselor (Steve Carell) in a small town. Tommy Lee at his most endearingly gruff and Meryl at her most blushingly flustered. Rated PG-13. At Colony Square and Twin Peaks.

ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT 3D

The endless chase for that acorn has continental ramifications. Rated PG. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.

THE IMPOSTER

Documentary meets film noir in the riveting jaw-dropper The Imposter, a true story that has the twists and turns of a thriller. In 1994 a 13-year-old boy disappears without a trace from San Antonio, Texas. Three and a half years later he is found alive, thousands of miles away in a village in southern Spain with a story of kidnap and torture. His family is overjoyed to bring him home. But all is not quite as it seems. At Chez Artiste — Landmark Theatres

THE INTOUCHABLES

The Intouchables, by French writer/directors Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano, is the inspiring true story of two men who should never have met — a quadriplegic aristocrat who was injured in a paragliding accident and a young man from the projects. At Mayan and Esquire. — Landmark Theatres

MAGIC MIKE

While it would be great to think that a movie about male strippers would be for women what movies like Striptease and Showgirls were for men, the loose threads of a plotline here suggest that Magic Mike really is just about encouraging more men to womanize and more women to fall for their ploys. Rated R. At Colony Square.

MOONRISE KINGDOM

Once more, writer/director Wes Anderson dips his stylish pen into murky, melancholy tales of whimsy. This time out, the Royal Tenenbaums auteur follows a young “Khaki Scout” who flees from his troop and troop leader (Edward Norton) while camping on an island to unite with his prepubescent and troubled gal pal. Her parents, played by Bill Murray and Frances McDormand, and the island cop (Bruce Willis) give chase in this Instagram fairy tale. At Century and Mayan. — The Reader of Omaha, Neb.

MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO

A film that Roger Ebert called “one of the five best movies” ever made for children, My Neighbor Totoro is a deceptively simple tale of two girls, Satsuki and Mei, who move with their father to a new house in the countryside. They soon discover that the surrounding forests are home to a family of Totoros, gentle but powerful creatures who are seen only by children. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax — Denver Film Society

NUIT #1

Anne Émond’s debut feature is a bold and intimate and erotic study of a one-night stand. Clara and Nikolaï meet at a rave. They return to his apartment for sex. Afterwards, instead of parting ways, the two lovers divulge their deepest secrets to one another. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax — Denver Film Society

THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN

A young couple learns to expect the unexpected when it comes to children in this frolicly romp of a story that purposefully comes off with too much shine to be taken seriously. Rated PG. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.

OPERA: THE ABDUCTION FROM THE SERA- GLIO

The opera features upbeat songs, virtuosic singing, and a happy ending — but with Mozart’s classic twists and turns. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater

A stop-motion 3D from the team that brought the world Coraline, this comedic thriller pits a boy who talks to dead people against attacking zombies. Rated PG. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh’s Phantom of the Opera, Broadway’s longest running show, comes again to the big screen for its 25th anniversary. Set in the Victorian splendor of the Royal Albert Hall, this special event features more than 200 cast members, orchestra musicians and luminaries involved with the production over the past 25 years. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater

THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES

With the epic dimensions of a Shakespearean tragedy, The Queen of Versailles follows a ragsto-riches story to uncover the innate virtues and flaws of the American dream. At Chez Artiste — Landmark Theatres

RIFFTRAX LIVE: “MANOS” THE HANDS OF FATE

Instead of you getting to make fun of stupid movies on your own, these guys do it for you. The same thing, from the same people as Mystery Science Theater 3000. Only Aug. 16. Rated PG-13. At Century.

THE ROLLING STONES: SOME GIRLS - LIVE IN TEXAS

This never-before-seen concert movie captures this world famous band at the height of its career. Shot on 16 mm in 1978, the film has been upgraded to high definition. It opens with a Sir Mick Jagger interview filmed in August 2011 in which he introduces the concert. At Boedecker — Boedecker Theater

RUBY SPARKS

Calvin (Paul Dano) is a young novelist who achieved phenomenal success early in his career but is now struggling with his writing — as well as his romantic life. Finally, he makes a breakthrough and creates a character named Ruby who inspires him. When Calvin finds Ruby (Zoe Kazan), in the flesh, sitting on his couch about a week later, he is completely flabbergasted that his words have turned into a living, breathing person. At Esquire and Century. — Landmark Theatres

SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED

In the scrappy romantic comedy Safety Not Guaranteed, an unusual classified ad inspires three cynical Seattle Magazine employees to look for the story behind it. They discover a mysterious eccentric named Kenneth, a likable but paranoid supermarket clerk, who believes he’s solved the riddle of time travel and intends to depart again soon. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society

SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN

In the late ’60s, two celebrated producers were struck by a musician in a Detroit bar — an artist who reminded them of a Chicano Bob Dylan, perhaps even greater. They believed the album they subsequently produced with Rodriguez — Cold Fact — was a masterpiece. It bombed. But a bootleg recording of Cold Fact found its way into apartheid South Africa and, over the next two decades, it became a phenomenon. At Mayan. — Landmark Theatres

SPARKLE

First, pause and consider that we’ve now seen more than 11 seasons of American Idol go by. OK, now. Jordin Sparks, American Idol #6, stars in a movie that is, predictably, about a talented young singer struggling to get her big break as a star. Rated PG-13. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.

STEP UP REVOLUTION

A would-be professional dancer gets entangled with a flash mob leader and joins a campaign to save the world from capitalism — by dancing. Rated PG-13. At Twin Peaks.

THE THIRD MAN

A paranoid story of social, economic and moral corruption in a depressed, rotting and crumbling 20th-century Vienna after World War II. At Boedecker — Boedecker Theater

TO ROME WITH LOVE

While Rome is a city abundant with romance and comedy, To Rome With Love is about people having adventures that will change their lives forever. Directed by Woody Allen. At Century and Esquire. — Landmark Theaters

TOTAL RECALL

Because the premise of implanted memories doesn’t sound problematic enough, this remake of the Schwarzenegger classic trips over its own action sequences in ways likely to make it totally forgettable. Rated PG-13. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.

TRISHNA

Trishna (Frieda Pinto) lives with her family in a village in Rajasthan, India. As the eldest daughter, she works in a nearby resort to help pay the bills. Jay (Riz Ahmed, Four Lions) is the wealthy son of a property developer. When he takes up managing a resort at his father’s request, he meets Trishna at a dance and their fates cross. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax — Landmark Theatres

TRUE WOLF

True Wolf is the story of a wolf called Koani. Koani, with the help of her human companions, became an ambassador for her species, traveling the country to help raise awareness about wolves. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax — Denver Film Society

THE WATCH

If you have the gift of imagining what a sci-fi comedy is like that features Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill and Richard Ayoade, congratulations! You lived longer than is necessary. All parties involved deliver a tepid, tofu performance. And for those who don’t know, that’s kind of an insult. Rated PG-13. At Century and Colony Square. — The Reader of Omaha, Neb.

THE WELL-DIGGER’S DAUGHTER

The sun-soaked melodrama stars Daniel Auteuil as Pascal Amoretti, a hard-working well-digger who is raising six girls on his own, after the death of his wife. Holding a special place in his heart is his beautiful eldest daughter. At Chez Artiste. — Landmark Theatres

WHISPER OF THE HEART

Shizuku is spending her last summer vacation before high school reading and translating foreign music into Japanese. Perusing the selection of books she has checked out from the library, her curiousity is piqued when she notices that the name Seiji appears before hers on the checkout card of each one. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax — Denver Film Society

YOUR SISTER’S SISTER

With raw, funny and emotional performances from an all-star cast, Lynn Shelton once again honestly explores the complexities of interpersonal relationships while gently poking fun at her characters’ predicaments. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater